Cheesy Cards, Golden Bottles and Two Perfect Roses
by Speedy Speck
Summary: On Tifa and Reno's five year anniversary, when the Turk is away on a mission, the brunette comes across an old memory box...One-Shot...Written for 'KCVII'


Disclaimer: Final Fantasy does not belong to me...however much I may like it to. I own no characters, places etc. etc. so please don't sue me! I'm a nice person :)

Author's Note: This is my fifty-sixth fanfic...And it's a RenoxTifa...Oh and this was written for 'KCVII'...I know it kinda strayed from the flowers theme but hopefully it's ok...Well actually I don't think this is very good but...oh well!...PLEASE review as I really enjoy reading your views and they inspire me to get better!!! It would make me very very happy! Anyway stop reading this and get on with reading the fic!! Hope you enjoy!! :)

The brunette sighed contently as she slowly awakened, the sun's rays burning just enough through the light curtains to warm the room to a lazy humidity.

After a few minutes of gentle dozing, her senses began to become fully aware of themselves, and she allowed a blissful smile to form subconsciously on her pretty face.

Her eyes opened gingerly, letting her pupils become used to the bright light now filling her room, and turned slightly to the right, her rusty orbs searching for the clock that lay by her bed on the wooden cabinet.

She groaned when the search ended as she found it was much later than she'd thought, and although she didn't have a reason to get up, she couldn't help but feel slightly guilty at having been in bed so long.

It just so happened that this particular day was special, it was special because it was on that day, five years ago, that her and the red head had finally gotten together.

Tifa gave another warm smile as she searched out her body under the perfectly thick duvet, her mind ablaze with cheerful thoughts, though her stomach was filled with a strange, almost foreboding tenseness, that sent signals of confusion up to her brain, making her wonder if there was something she'd forgotten.

It was only when the brunette rolled onto her side that the realisation hit her, like a masamune to the torso.

Her gaze glided over the empty space, the one which should have been filled with the familiar form of the red head, and it was then that she remembered why the tight knot in her stomach was still present, and why it would be for quite some time.

Reno was away on a mission, he had been for over a week now, and the brunette hadn't heard a word from him or the other Turks. No messages, no calls, not even a tiny signal that might calm her nerves, even if only for a second.

It was the one thing she hated about dating a Turk. The fact that he would go out on the most dangerous missions and she wouldn't be there to help him, he was alone, without her and she had no power to protect him.

It was the not knowing, and the absolute lack of control she had which frightened her to the extent of many sleepless nights.

After a few more minutes of personal brooding, the young woman got up, and strolled to her wardrobe, opening the doors widely and throwing various pieces of clothing onto her bed.

It was just then, when she was about to close up the piece of furniture that the little box caught her eye, a box which she had seemingly forgotten, though her eyes must have rolled over it many times, obviously oblivious to its presence.

As soon as she took it out of its dark home and into the lightness of the bedroom, a flash of recognition flowed through her mind and an adorning smile formed quickly upon her pale lips.

The hard surface was covered in pictures, like a child's collage, and in the centre, painted in some kind of red glitter, were the letters R&T surrounding by an equally glittery heart.

Her eyebrows couldn't help but be pulled into a slight cringe at the cheesiness of it, not to mention the fact that she'd actually sat down at one point to make it, though the second she lifted the lid it was replaced with a look of wide-eyed wonder.

Within a flash the contents was emptied onto the duvet cover, and the brunette's slender fingers were sifting through the bundle of mementos she'd kept for no real reason at all other than because she didn't want to forget.

The first thing she grasped within her lively hands was an old Valentine's day card, the first Reno had ever given her in fact. It was store bought of course, but it was cute, uber cute in fact and Tifa chuckled as she imagined a Turk like him choosing such a soppy card.

The front was a pale pink, with two cartoon bumble bees flying into the centre from either side, with the phrase, ''Bee Mine Forever'', written in-between their forms.

After gazing at the item for a few minutes, she laid it carefully back in the box and grabbed another memory inducing piece, this time a small bottle of golden sand.

She positioned it so it was held to one side, her eyes enjoying the way the sand moved and readjusted into a perfectly straight line every time she tipped the glass container.

Tifa let out another quiet chuckle and almost whispered to herself, ''Costa Del Sol...our first holiday...''

The young woman could remember the day she had acquired the sand particles very clearly, the gentle breeze rolling off from the sea, the crisp warm beach under foot, but most of all she could remember the hyper red head who had taken to filing up her bag with hand fulls of sand.

It wasn't until they had returned to the hotel that she had discovered that she still had half the beach with her, and although she had been mightily irritated at the knowledge that she would be finding golden bits in her belongings for a good long while, she couldn't help but secretly adore the red head's childish ways.

Instead of clearing out the bag completely, she and had taken a small bottle from the room's bar and, after drinking the cheerfully relaxing contents, had filled it up with some of the fine golden sand.

Again she looked at the item for a few minutes, gathering all the feelings of warmth she could from it, before returning it to its home.

When she spotted the next memento, it seemed to affect her differently from the others, in the sense that she froze the moment she laid her rusty orbs on it.

To any other observer it was just a wilted rose, crumpled on the sheets, stalk and thorns missing, and its petals dry and dark, but to Tifa it was a symbol, a symbol of the first realisation she'd had of her true feelings towards the red headed Turk, and that rose was the thing behind the very start of their relationship.

She fingered the dead flower tentatively, as if it were a child and held it to her nose to see if any scent still lingered within the folds of its darkened crimson petals.

When a smallest of sweet scents crept up in her petite nose, a shy smile began to form as the memories flooded back, like waves crashing across a long dried beach.

Every week he'd come in, order a beer along with three shots, sit in the same stool, and talk to nobody, nobody other than Tifa that is, although it seemed to her that all he was doing was making drunken comments rather than deep conversation.

She couldn't help but giggle as the voices sounded around her mind...

_She rang the bell hanging from the hook behind the bar, ''Closing time!...that means it's t__ime for you to go home Reno.''_

_''Already! Tsst your company just makes the time fly by!'' He flashed her one of his ever so charming smirks before downing the rest of his pint._

_The brunette sighed in amusement, ''Actually I think you'll find that it's the drink that does that...''_

_Reno was quiet for a few moments, as if in thought, before saying rather too seriously, ''Well either way its come to soon...'' noticing the confusion playing upon the young bartender's face he quickly shone her a playful smirk, ''I'll see ya next week darling...''_

And sure enough he'd show up again, always alone...

_''You know Reno you should find yourself a girlfriend.'' She raised an eyebrow as if it somehow proved her point._

_The red head responded with a rolling of the eyes before leaning against the bar, staring contently at the brunette, ''Pfft...Nah she'd just get jealous, I mean how could she ever compare to you...I mean you're beautiful Tif...''_

_She let out a disbelieving grunt, ''And you're drunk Reno.''_

_The Turk latched his aquamarine gaze into her rusty own and gave a small half smile, ''Maybe...but you're still beautiful.'' _

At first she'd just thought of them as meaningless comments, comments he no doubt made to every pretty girl he came across, but as time went on she noticed he seemed to be picking on her in particular, taking special care around her, as if to prove his sincerity.

Reno would help her out if things were busy, stay around at closing time to clear the empty glasses and even on occasion helped break up heavy bar fights, ones which he knew full well she couldn't handle on her own.

The constant company, the charming compliments, the welcome help he brought, every little thing, every tiny moment, everything...without her real awareness, was slowly causing the brunette to fall for the young man whom she had once thought of as nothing more than a useless drunk.

And then one night, after the bar had closed and the pair were cleaning up, Reno did something had somehow made Tifa realise her hidden feelings...

_The red head shifted nervously for a few seconds before handing the crimson flower to the bartender, ''Here...it's for you...I just thought...you know...''_

_His ramblings were cut off by a very surprised and excited Tifa, ''Reno! It's so pretty...but where did you get it?! I thought roses were nearly impossible to come by?''_

_''I'm a Turk...I have my ways!'' He flashed her a proud smile, enjoying the reaction he was getting._

_She jumped up and down on the spot, her face alight with a bright smile, ''Aw! Aren't you just the sweetest! I just love you!'' And with that she subconsciously pulled him into a kiss._

_As soon as they broke apart, the brunette's face grew paler than the moon and her eyes grew wide, out of both shock at what she'd allowed herself to say and do, and the fact Reno hadn't yet run screaming from the room, yelling ''Ahhhh! She wants me to commit!''_

_In fact the red head looked just as shocked as her, though his face showed a hint of blissful elation._

_It was probably because of this, that he was the first that managed to find his voice again, even if it was rather shaky, ''You..you love me?''_

_''Well...you know...I mean..I love you in the sense that...I...I...well that...you know...you're perfect and handsome and super sweet and-'' This time it was his turn to stop the ramble, but he decided to do so with a kiss, a kiss that told her all she needed to know, and locked the two together in a shared moment of release. _

And the rest is history...

She was shaken from her nostalgic musings when she heard the bell hanging up by the bar door chime, alerting her immediately to the entrance of someone, someone who had a key.

Tifa couldn't withhold the hopeful grin and rushed down to the bar, though not before giving the dried flower bud one more stroke.

When she arrived at her destination, she was greeted at first, not with the sight of a certain red headed person, but with a certain single red rose, laying on the bar counter.

She let a small gasp escape from her pale pink lips, and whispered in hushed wonderment, ''He remembered...''

''How could I not...?'' The familiar voice sounded from the stairway she'd just passed.

The brunette let another wide grin form on her pretty face, not bothering to ask how on earth he'd gotten behind her, after all he was a trained Turk, ''You're home!''

Reno jumped down from the step he'd been standing on, landing inches from the young woman, ''Got back about thirty minutes ago...''

''But I...I mean I thought you wouldn't be able to make-''

He cut her off when he wrapped his slender arms around her, pulling the brunette in close, ''Come on daring...I wouldn't miss today...not for the world...''

The pair shared an equally content smile, before the red head closed the distance between them in one swift motion.

When their lips connected, Tifa couldn't help but wonder how he managed to make his kisses feel as amazing and exciting as the first ones they'd ever shared.

It wasn't long before the brunette was pulling her lover up the stairs and towards the bedroom, not forgetting to grab the rose on the way, after all, now she had another great memento of a perfect moment to add to that little box.


End file.
